U.S. Men's Sitting Team Beats Colombia

From left, Charlie Swearingen, Eric Duda, Thomas Davis, Dan Regan, Rejy Bacchus and J.Dee Marinko of the U.S. Men's Sitting
Team show the black bands they are wearing in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 17, 2013) – The U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team opened the Central American Games for Sitting Volleyball with a 25-18, 25-13, 25-21 victory over Colombia on Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Team is competing in an international event for the first time in over a year. It will continue play at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday (April 17) against Mexico.

“The team began the match a little nervous, but calmed down to overcome the errors they made early,” U.S. Head Coach Bill Hamiter (Bethany, Okla.) said via e-mail.

Team Captain Eric Duda (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led the United States with 15 points on 11 kills, two blocks and two aces. J. Dee Marinko (Newcastle, Okla.) added 10 points on four kills, one block and five aces. Dan Regan (St. Louis, Mo.) and Charlie Swearingen (Gulfport, Miss.) each scored eight points.

"I was glad to see the relatively balanced scoring of the team as well as solid serving and passing," Hamiter said. "It was good to see that all the specific training in these areas is paying off. Rejy Bacchus and Thomas Davis had solid matches for their first international experience."

Hamiter started Marinko and Duda at setter/outside hitter, Swearingen and Regan at middle hitter and newcomers Davis (Detroit, Mich.) and Bacchus (Bryan, Texas) as right side hitters.

The U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball Team is honoring the victims who were killed or injured at the Boston Marathon by wearing black bands on their uniforms near their hearts and flags.

Central American Games for Sitting VolleyballApril 16-20 in San Jose, Costa Rica